26 African Players That Have Won the UEFA Champions League

How many African players have won the champions league? Do you have an idea? In this post, you will meet each and every one of them. I will list out their individual countries, club and the season they won the UCL.

Before I show you the list of African Players who won the UEFA Champions League, take a look at the richest football players in Africa. Also, here is a ranking of the best African football teams ever.

Which African player won the most Champions League?

Samuel Eto’o is the African player that has won the UCL the most, having won the Champions League three times with two different clubs; Real Madrid in 1999–2000 and Barcelona in 2005–06, 2008–09.

List Of African Players Who Won UEFA Champions League

Let’s now go and see the list of African players that have won the champions league.

1 – Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe): Liverpool FC, 1983-1984

Bruce Grobbelaar became the first African to win the Champions League. In 1984, the European Cup final between Liverpool and Roma finished 1–1 after extra time and went to a penalty shootout. As Roma’s Francesco Graziani went to take his penalty kick, Grobbelaar, wobbled his legs in mock terror. Graziani missed and Liverpool went on to win the shootout 4–2.

2 – Rabah Madjer (Algeria): FC Porto, 1986-1987

Madjer won the European Cup with Porto in the 1985–86 season when his side defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 with him scoring the equalizer and setting Juary up for the winner.

3 – Abedi Pelé (Ghana): Olympique de Marseille, 1992-1993

The Ghanaian guided Olympique Marseille to becoming the first-ever French side to win the UEFA Champions League. He was involved in the winning goal as he delivered a set piece that was turned in by Basile Boli.

4 – Finidi George (Nigeria): Ajax, 1994-1995

The Nigerian appeared in consecutive UEFA Champions League finals but won only the 1994–95 edition against A.C. Milan when Ajax defeated AC Milan 1-0 courtesy of a goal from young substitute Patrick Kluivert.

5 – Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria): Ajax, 1994-1995

Just like Finidi, Kanu also appeared in Ajax’s 1995 UEFA Champions League final win over AC Milan, coming on as a substitute in the 53rd minute. And the next year he started in the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final against Juventus which his side lost 4-2 on penalties.

6 – Ibrahim Tanko (Ghana): Borussia Dortmund 1996-1997

The Ghanaian participated in three matches, all as a late substitute, in Borussia’s 1996–97 UEFA Champions League victorious run. Injuries and loss of form led to an eventual demotion to Borussia Dortmund II.

7 – Geremi Njitap (Cameroon): Real madrid, 1999 -2000, 2001 -2002

During the midfielder’s three years at the Santiago Bernabéu, He won two Champions League winners medals with the Spanish giants. The first in 2000 and the second in 2002 when he scored a goal against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals before winning the title, defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the final.

8 – Samuel Kuffour (Ghana): FC Bayern Munich 2000-2001

Kuffour lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich in 2001 after his side defeated Valencia in the final 5-4 on penalties after playing out to a 1-1 draw. The Ghanaian also became the youngest defender to ever score in the Champions League, at the age of 18 years and 61 days, during the match against FC Spartak Moscow on 2 November 1994.

9 – Benni McCarthy (South Africa): FC Porto, 2003-2004

McCarthy was influential in Porto’s run in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, which they won. He scored four goals in the campaign of which two were against Manchester United defeating them in the round of 16.

10 – Djimi Traoré (Mali): Liverpool FC, 2004-2005

Traoré appeared for Liverpool at the 2005 Champions League Final against Milan. After conceding the free kick that led to Paolo Maldini’s goal in the opening minute his play improved in the second half and made a goalline clearance to deny Shevchenko a likely winner which contributed to his winning a Champions League medal as Liverpool fought back from 3–0 down to draw 3–3 and beat Milan 3–2 on penalties.

11 – Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon): FC Barcelona, 2005-2006, 2008-2009, Inter Milan, 2009-2010

Samuel Eto’o won 3 Champions League titles during his years as a professional footballer. The first was with Barcelona in 2006 after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the final with Eto’o scoring the equalizing goal. The second still with Barcelona after defeating Manchester United 2-0 in the final with Samuel scoring the opening goal. And the last one was with Inter Milan after defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 with Samuel Eto’o providing the assist for Milito to score the second goal.

12 – Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire): FC Barcelona, 2008-2009

Yaya Toure won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2010 with his side defeating Manchester United 2-0 courtesy of goals from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi.

13 – Seydou Keita (Mali): FC Barcelona, 2008-2009, 2010-2011

Seydou Keïta played 20 minutes in the 2009 Champions League final, taking the place of Thierry Henry in the 2–0 triumph against Manchester United and also came on as a substitute in the 2011 Champions League final, taking the place of David Villa in the 86th minute in the 3-1 triumph against Manchester United yet again.

14 – Sulley Muntari (Ghana): Inter Milan, 2009-2010

Sulley Muntari won the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010 coming on as a substitute for Goran Pandev in the 79th minute with his side beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final.

15 – McDonald Mariga (Kenya): Inter Milan 2009 – 2010

McDonald Mariga was an unused substitute in the 2010 Champions League final when his side (Inter Milan) defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 to claim the Champions League trophy.

16 – John Obi Mikel (Nigeria): Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

Mikel Obi played the full match in the 2012 Champions League final which his side (Chelsea) won defeating Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties after playing out to a 1-1 draw.

17 – Michael Essien (Ghana): Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

Essien was an unused substitute for Chelsea in the 2012 Champions League final which Chelsea won defeating Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties, making Chelsea the first London-based club to win the title.

18 – Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast): Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

Salomon Kalou started the 2012 Champions League final which his team (Chelsea) won beating Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties but was substituted for Fernando Torres in the 84th minute.

19 – Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast): Chelsea FC, 2011-2012

In the Champions League final on 19 May 2012, Drogba scored the equaliser from Juan Mata’s corner in the 88th minute, taking Chelsea into extra time and then penalties. He also scored the winning penalty in the 4–3 penalty shootout that led Chelsea to the victory over Bayern Munich.

20 – Achraf Hakimi (Morocco): Real Madrid FC, 2017-2018

In the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he made two appearances as Madrid won the title, their third consecutive and 13th overall. Although not in the squad for the final, he received a medal and is credited as the first Moroccan player to win the Champions League.

21 – Joel Matip (Cameroon): Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

Matip assisted Divock Origi’s goal in the 87th minute of the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, which saw Liverpool defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 to win the title in the Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid.

22 – Sadio Mane (Senegal): Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

Mané helped win an early penalty for Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final against Tottenham, only 24 seconds after the kick-off after his cross was judged to have hit Moussa Sissoko’s arm inside the penalty area; Salah subsequently converted from the spot to open the scoring, and Liverpool ultimately won the match 2–0 to claim the title.

23 – Mohamed Salah (Egypt): Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

Salah scored Liverpool’s first goal in a 2–0 win over Tottenham in the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final from a penalty. Salah’s goal, which he scored in the opening two minutes of the match, was the second fastest goal ever scored in a Champions League final, slower only than Paolo Maldini’s effort for A.C. Milan against Liverpool in the 2005 final.

24 – Naby Keita (Guinea): Liverpool FC, 2018 – 2019

Although Keïta was injured, he won his first Liverpool title while out of the matchday squad as his teammates secured the win in the Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur in early June.

25 – Edouard Mendy (Senegal): Chelsea FC, 2020 – 2021

Mendy became the first African goalkeeper to play in a final of the UEFA Champions League and the first since Bruce Grobbelaar, who appeared in the 1985 European Cup Final. Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the final. He also equaled the record of most clean sheets in a Champions League season, by keeping nine clean sheets, the same as Santiago Cañizares in 2000–01 and Keylor Navas in 2015–16.

26 – Hakim Ziyech (Morocco): Chelsea FC, 2020 – 2021

Ziyech won the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final with Chelsea 1-0 against Manchester City but did not come off the bench in the match. Ziyech started ten matches and scored two goals in Chelsea’s run to the final of the competition, including one against Atlético Madrid in the Round of 16-second leg at Stamford Bridge.

This article was updated 1 month ago